About the show

'Incident at Hidden Temple' focuses on China 1943 with the historic US Flying Tigers squadron and the presence of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. The play spotlights the critical role played by American pilots in China during WWII, and hinges upon three Chinese women who cross paths unwittingly on a secret quest.

"In addition to mood, noir is famous for labyrinthine plots, but the one here is just muddled...Chua is less interested in historical facts than in genre tropes...Alas, he did not stop at thriller and also went for melodrama, romance, spy mystery, political yarn and supernatural fable...A lot happens over the course of two hours, including a plot development reminiscent of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' but with a Buddhist artifact. Yet what dominate are lengthy exposition and stilted dialogue."
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"The piece has the potential to use the lessons of the past to illuminate the present — an objective never fully realized in this half-hearted attempt at noir...Knockoff Nancy Drew meets Indiana Jones: a suspense-free murder mystery that transforms into an inexplicable treasure hunt. To his credit, director Schwab faithfully stages the misguided script...A combination of wooden acting and an aimless script make 'Incident at Hidden Temple' an unmemorable night at the theater."
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"A better title for ‘Incident at Hidden Temple’ might be ‘Nancy Drew Goes to War-Torn China’…Throughout, Ava is presented as being both clueless and insanely accomplished; she is as muddled as the play that contains her…Even the lowest-budget B melodrama was better constructed than this...Under the circumstances, it's difficult to know what actors could do, so it probably signifies very little that the entire company gives such wooden performances.”
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"Chua...focuses only intermittently on the complex military-historical issues...Instead, he diffuses his treatment by introducing various melodramatic mysteries...An air of superficiality hovers not only over the writing but over the entire, stilted production...Director Kaipo Schwab's pacing for the two-hour play is uneven and his staging awkward, beginning with the thoroughly unconvincing stabbing that begins the play...As for the acting, let's just say better luck next time."
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"All the technical elements are well done. The play by Damon Chua keeps your interest, though it could use some cutting. The direction by Kaipo Schwab is serviceable and gets the points across, but how could he have not heard the timber of the actors voices?...Ms. Ma, Mr. Dolan and Mr. Liu far much better than the rest of this cast, who seriously need acting lessons."
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"Chua is a dab hand at spoofing the melodramatic conceits of film noir, but he hasn’t settled whether 'Hidden Temple' should be a movie pastiche, an old-fashioned whodunit, supernatural puzzler, political drama, clash of western pragmatism and eastern spirituality, or a whimsical romance...Many scenes in 'Hidden Temple' are engaging, but, as a whole, the script has the half-baked quality of a project at the workshop stage...Much of the acting is wooden, and the direction largely static."
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“Wartime drama in ‘Incident at Hidden Temple’ is as compelling as it gets. As the landscape shifts from a village fable to a convincing military drama, director Kaipo Schwab skillfully coordinates interrogation of a larger truth…The play, filled with memorable characters, is something of a winding path constructed by playwright Damon Chua...Ava is portrayed adeptly by the Ying Ying Li.”
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"'Incident at Hidden Temple' is suggestive of many different ideas pertaining to allegiance, cooperation and strategy, but unfortunately the obscure and fictional story lines are worn thin and far too overstretched by the play's final curtain. Whether an indication of a flawed script beyond repair, or a lack of thoughtful direction by director Kaipo Schwab, many performances are over embellished, exaggerated, and hardly resemblant to any sympathetic or even likable characters."
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"Offers insight into the fascinating political drama of that moment…But while the setting and the historical situation at the center of the play are indeed very interesting, Chua's writing is uneven. The dialogue is sometimes stilted, there are plot developments that feel very unrealistic, and the resolutions of the various mysteries come off as a bit clumsy. ‘Hidden Temple’ certainly has a great deal going for it, but could use some rewriting to better do justice to its promising story."
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“An evocative reminder of a pivotal piece of World War II history…Act One does a good job in setting up the multiple conflicts and questions. While Act Two has resonant moments, it isn’t as strong, relying on some unlikely coincidences and encounters. Ultimately, though the story's questions are answered (except the biggest one, which the playwright leaves to the audience), there’s almost too much to bring together smoothly. The staging and the acting overall are excellent.”
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See it if
You like a well written mystery thriller with good "noir" atmosphere via chiaroscuro lighting. You like factual historical background of WW2

Don't see it if
You're not interested in a chapter of WWII history involving US-Sino relations and the heroic Flying Tigers. You will be missing out!

Also
Absolutely wonderful script with stellar acting and factual background setting of WWII US-China war alliance vs. super aggressor Japan during a trying social & political upheaval in China with the Communist cooperating with Chiang Kai Shek's Nationalist Army to rid the common enemy but yet Mao Tse Tung has his agenda to over throw Chiang's regime at any time. Add to it American interest & conflicting strong personal personality clashes that ultimately changed America's position of treating Nationalist China as a true Allied friend & consequently that weakened military aid helped the Communist to control China.

This play ambitiously tried to tell those historical facts but as an artistic project, it succeeds brilliantly with great linear plot that holds mystery, thrilling whodunit, romance, truth seeking, spiritualism, and even highlighting private plundering of artifacts during times of turmoil.

Bravo to this quality production from the illustrious Pan Asian Repertory. You earned it!... Read moreRead less

See it if
You're up for an honest if stilted attempt to throw some light on a moment of Sino-American history that sadly still affects us today.

Don't see it if
You're expecting real noir or a sharply focused script with a full and final resolution. Interesting questions are raised but not the point.

Also
Despite some smooth directing by Kaipo Schwab & mostly convincing performances, the script never lives up to playwright Damon Chua's or even Schwab's program notes, which seem to describe some other, more philosophical & developed project.

Though stagecraft creates a solid atmosphere, most of the play feels like a long vamp, waiting for the real plot to kick in, but when it does all we're presented with is a Maltese Falcon treasure hunt in a Terry and the Pirates world.

The Sino-American what-might-have-beens, questions of misdirection & propaganda, of the notion that only the "pure heart" can perceive & prevail, are valid, worthwhile issues, but become a mix brought up, touched on and then finally brushed aside for simple melodrama.

It's too bad, since there was much potential here, but all aspirations aside, in the end the most memorable thing about Incident is Rosanne Ma's striking face and Dinh James Doan's remarkable turns as the mysterious Blind Man & Chiang Kai Shek.... Read moreRead less

See it if
want to support the arts; enjoy a different glimpse into WWII, the Flying Tigers, Chinese leaders, references to Hemingway, Hidden Temple...

Don't see it if
you are looking for a polished production with a well developed plot.

Also
The lighting combined with the stage setting was impressive, especially the train and the temple.

The script was interesting enough so I was not bored - but it had too many holes in it. Mostly, the acting is what made this play not work for me. With the exception of the actor who played the blind man and leader of the Nationalist party, the acting was stiff and stereotyped.

The plots were intertwined in a way that did not always make sense.

I applaud the effort to address the issues of truth, good and bad, isolationism, etc. but it needs some work.

Don't see it if
You're not prepared for unintentional laughs at how poorly a play can be written.

Also
This play has re-write written all over it. How someone made the decision during rehearsals to move forward with this play is beyond my comprehension. There is a lot of potential in the script, however little of that potential is reached. I feel sorry for the actors who got involved in this mess. They gave it their best and the blind guy is quite good. Still, at the end of the evening I was chuckling to myself as I left the theater, knowing that I could add this stinker to the list of the 5 worst plays I'd ever seen.... Read moreRead less